screw = ??

[ieasy]

Hi,

The main meaning of the verb "screw" is fastening with 1 or several screws. ok, but could the word "screw" also mean "to fake" or "to falsify"?? If yes, could you give an example?

[mykwyner]

I'll have to be careful here...

In American English, "screw" is commonly used as a more mild substitute for the Queen Mother of AE profanities, f**k.

This can be seen in the following common AE phrases:

Stop screwing around with that. You'll break it.
If you screw up this meeting, we'll be fired.
My car is screwed up. Let's take yours.
If I give one more wrong answer, I'm screwed.

I would have to know the full context of the "falsify" sentence to tell if this word is being used according to custom.

[Ouisch]

"Screw" is often used as an extreme word to indicate something that is confused or convoluted: "I asked him what was going on, but he just gave me some screwy excuse.". It can also be used when someone has been conned, or fooled: "He told me these tickets were for front row seats, and they're actually in the balcony. I really got screwed." It also refers to a big mistake or error: "My mother-in-law is allergic to nuts, and I put almonds in that cake. I really screwed up!"

[ieasy]

interesting. thanks a lot.

[Tdol]

If it's screwed, it is wrong in someway, so I can see that it could be used to mean 'fake', but I haven't heard it.